Puzzle postal card.



G. M. GUNLEY. PUZZLE POSTAL CARD.

APPLICATION nun JULY 27, 1909.

Patented Feb. 27,- 1912.

COLUMBIA PLANOCIRAPH 60., v/AsmNmN. n. c.

TW R. Q k N Q Q CHARLES lVL CONLEY, OF PARKERS LANDING, PENNSYLVANIA.

PUZZLE POSTAL CARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 2'7, 190?. Serial No 509,866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. CoNLnY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Parkers Landing, in the county of Armstrong and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Puzzle Postal Cards, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to puzzles, and more particularly to a puzzle that can be advantageously used in connection with a postal card, either for ordinary mailing purposes or as a souvenir.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive puzzle that will afford considerable amusement to juveniles as well as adults, and at the same time require some skill or knowledge of the manipulation of trains in connection with a railway system.

A further object of this invention is to, provide a puzzle that can be readily constructed in the form of a foldable post card and transmitted through the mails without additional expense other than the cost of the ordinary post card.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained by a device that will be presently described in detail and then claimed.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a puzzle constructed in accordance with my invention, Fig. 2 is a plan of the same folded, Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a portion of the puzzle taken on the line X-X of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the same taken on the line VVl/V of Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the body of a postal card having ends 2 and 3 of the same size and shape as the body 1 and adapted to fold upon said body,

8 extending from one edge of the disk to the opposite end thereof.

The end 2 of the postal card is provided adjacent to the upper edge thereof with a groove or track 10, while the end 3 of the card is provided with a groove or track 11, said grooves or tracks 10 and 11 being constructed similar to the groove or track 8. The tracks 10 and 11 are provided with two sets of shiftable pieces 12 and 13. The shiftable pieces are arranged in sets, each set indicating a train, each train consisting of an engine and a plurality of cars, the engine of one train is indicated by E and the cars by F, G, H, I, J, K. The engine of the other set is indicated by L, and the cars by M, N, O, P, Q. These pieces are made of metal bent upon itself to engage in the grooves or tracks, but I reserve the right to make the pieces of any suitable material, as durable paper.

The disk 4 is adapted to represent a turn table, while the shiftable pieces 12 and 13 represent two trains, each train comprising a locomotive and one or more cars, these .two trains being distinguished by coloring the shifting pieces, whereby the component parts or pieces of one train can be easily identified and assembled.

Since the groove or track 8 is off center relative to the pivot point of the disk 4, said disk can be revolved whereby the groove or track 8 thereof will longitudinally aline with either the groove or track 11, permitting of the pieces being shifted from one track to the turn table, when the turn table is properly positioned.

The object of the puzzle is to have the trains or moving pieces 12 and 13, each moving in opposite directions, for instance, north and south onthe tracks 10 and 11, and to meet and pass each other on a single track with the aid of the turn table, the capacity of which is two locomotives and a car or three cars, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The manner of solving the puzzle is as follows; it will be assumed that the trains are in the position shown in Fig. 1 in full lines, the engine E is run on to the track 7 and the table 4 shifted and the engine L run on to track 7 the table 4 is then successively shifted and the cars F, G, H, I, J, and K successively shifted from track 11 on to track 10, the table 4 is then shifted and the engine L run on to track 11 as the latter Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

has been cleared of the train, the table 4 is then successively shifted and the cars K, J, I, H, G, and F are successively transferred from the track 10 to the track 11, the table 4 is then shifted and the car M transferred from track 10 to track 7 by the engine E, the table 4 is then successively shifted and the cars F, G, H, I, J and K are successively transferred to the track 10, the table 4 is then shifted and the car M transferred from track 7 on to track 11 by the engine E, the latter is run back on track 7 and the table 4 is then successively shifted to successively transfer the cars K, J, I, H, G, and F from track 10 to track 11, the engine E remaining on track 7, the table 4 is then shifted and the car N run on to track 7 by engine E, the table 4 is then successively shifted and the cars F, G, H, I, J and K transferred from track 11 to track 10, the table 4 is then shifted and the car N transferred from track 7 on to track 11, the table 4 is then succes sively shifted and the cars K, J, I, H, G and F transferred from track 10 on to track 11, the table 4 with the engine E thereon is then shifted and the car 0 transferred on to track 7, the table 4 is then successively shifted and the cars F, G, H, I, J and K successively transferred from track 11 to track 10, the table 4 is again shifted and the car 0 transferred from track 7 on to track 11, the engine E remaining on table 4, the table 4 is then successively shifted so as to successively transfer the cars K, J, H, Gr, and F from track 11 on track 10, the car P is then transferred from track 10 on to track 7, the table 4 is then successively shifted and the cars F, G, H, I, J, and K are successively transferred from track 11 on to track 10, the car P is then transferred from track 7 on to track 11, the table 4 is then successively shifted and the cars K, J, I, H, G and F successively transferred from track 10 on to track 11, the engine E remaining on table 4, the table 4 is then shifted and the car Q transferred from track 10 on to track 7, the table 4 is then successively shifted and the cars F, G, H, I, J and K successively transferred from track 11 on to track 10, the car Q is then transferred from track 7 on to track 11, this completes the transferring of the train originally on track 10 to track 11, the engine E remaining on track 7, the table 4 is then successively shifted and the cars K, J, I, H, G and F successively shifted from the track 10 on to the track 11, the engine E remaining on track 7, the table 4 is then shifted and the engine E run on to track 10, the table 4 is then shifted and the engine L backs cars F, G and H on track 7, the table 4 is then shifted and the engine E transfers cars F, G, and H from track 7 on to track 10, the table 4 is then shifted and the engine L backs cars I, J and K on track 7, the table 4 is then shifted and the engine E transfers cars I, J and K from track 7 to track 10, this completes the transferring of the train originaly on track 11 from said track on to track 10.

The puzzle can possibly be solved more easily by persons skilled with the shifting of railway trains than by others, consequently considerable thought and skill is required before the puzzle can be solved.

I reserve the right to suitably decorate or portray upon the body of the card and the ends thereof such scenery as a railroad yard, that would identify the puzzle as re-' lating particularly to railways, and it is in this connection that the outer sides of the ends 2 and 3 of the postal card can be used for pictures or souvenir purposes, while the outer side of the body 1 is used for addresses or correspondence Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, is

A puzzle comprising a strip of material including an intermediate portion and a pair of foldable outer portions, a circular disk pivotally connected to said intermediate portion, a pair of rails secured to each of said end portions and to said disk, the rails of each pair spaced from each other, guard rails mounted upon the rails of each pair and overlapping the opposing edges of the rails of each pair and providing in connection with their respective rails an inverted T-shaped track, the tracks upon said outer portions extending on opposite sides of an imaginary line passing longitudinally through the pivot of the disk, the track upon H A tions and capable of being shifted upon the 7 track of said disk, each of said pieces pro vided with means to prevent the withdrawal thereof vertically from said tracks.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES M. GONLEY.

\Vitnesses GEO. S. KELLY, T, H. MCCOY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

